I
remember spending hour after hour playing Boulder Dash on my Atari 800XL
back in the mid 80s. Why aren't games this addictive today?

Well,
that's another subject for another time, but I think it mainly has to do
with the simplicity of the gameplay. Many games are just too complex
these days, and concentrate far too much on showing off their awesome
graphics. Although, to some degree the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect has kind of
reinvented the gaming industry, thank goodness.

Boulder
Dash was loosely based on the game Dig Dug and was originally
released in 1984 on the early 8-bit home computers for the Atari
400/800, Apple II, MSX, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. It was later
ported to other 8 bit and 16 bit systems such as the BBC Micro, Amstrad
CPC, Atari XL/XE, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga.

The
game's main character was called Rockford. Basically, you had to help
him dig his way underground collecting gems, reaching the exit within a
time limit. There were a few nasty creatures to contend with, but the
tricky part was ensuring you didn't get crushed by a boulder by digging
in the wrong place! Great memories and just so damn addictive!

Amstrad CPC Version

Although brightly-coloured, the Amstrad just didn't have the graphics capabilities of either the C64 or Atari XL/XE range, and, therefore, doesn't look as good visually. Unfortunately, there's no sound in this video clip.

Actually, this isn't a proper walkthrough or review, but more like "off the cuff" commentary by a player who's never experienced the game before. He's playing the game on a 65XE and it's the same version that I used to play. The video is quite amusing to watch and I haven't heard those sound effects since the 80s!